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Newsflashes
Paris (Compiègne) 
Roubaix
258 km
Sunday 10 April
Roubaix
258 km
Sunday 10 April
The newsflashes
16:33 - Van Summeren: "Magnifique"
Johan Van Summeren’s first words after winning Paris-Roubaix: "I was really motivated. This was MY race. I came for the best possible result. As soon as I was in the front group, I knew I could win. I had great legs today. It’s "magnifique", wonderful. When Bak attacked, I followed him and I went flat out in the Carrefour de l’Arbre. I was gone for good."
16:31 - Top 10
1. Johan van Summeren, 6h27’24, 2. Cancellara, at 19 sec, 3. Tjallingi, 4. Rast, 5. Bak, 6. Ballan, 7. Eisel, 8. Hushovd, 9. Flecha, 10. Hayman
16:30 - Cancellara second
Fabian Cancellara sprined for second place 18 seconds behind Van Summeren. Tjallingi finished third.
16:28 - Van Summeren wins
Johan Van Summeren wins Paris-Roubaix after 6 hours 7 minutes and 24 seconds of racing.
16:21 - Cancellara looks for honours
Behind front rider Johan van Summeren, Cancellara caught Bak, Rast and Tjallingi in search of a top 3 finish. Van Summeren has 40 seconds with 40 seconds.
16:20 - 6km to go
Six kilometres to go for Van Summeren who is on his way to winning Paris-Roubaix. Tjallingi is at 28 seconds.
16:14 - Tjallingi hoping for a podium
Maarten Tjallingi who has been in the lead of the race since about km 100, is alone in second place between Van Summeren and the duo Rast-Bak.
16:12 - Bak and Rast in the chase
Bak and Rast are 27 seconds behind lone leader Van Summeren.
16:10 - Last chance for Cancellara and Hushovd
Cancellara and Hushovd keep going flat out and pass the rider dropped by Van Summeren.
16:07 - Van Summeren alone
Van Summeren accelerates on sector 3 and goes solowith 14km to go.
16:03 - Hushovd and Cancellara at 50 seconds
The group of Hushovd and Cancellara is 50 seconds behind the four leaders at the Carrefour de l’Arbre with 16km to go. Van Summeren attacks at the front.
16:03 - Four men in the lead
Rast, Van Summeren, Bak and Tjallingi form the front group with 18km to go.
15:58 - Leezer punctures
Leezer has a flat tyre in the front group, so his team-mate Lars Boom moves up to the chasing group with Hushovd on his wheel.
15:56 - Guesdon is back
Guesdon is back in the front group of 14 riders while Garmin-Cervélo leads the chase at 45 seconds.
15:52 - Guesdon punctures
Guesdon is no more in the front group after a puncture.
15:46 - New gap: 1.10
With 25km to go in sector 6, the gap between the leaders and Cancellara-Hushovd is 1.10.
15:43 - The big ones slow down
The three chasing riders Cancellara, Hushovd and Ballan stop chasing as Cancellara refuses to favour his rivals.
15:39 - Veilleux out
Early attacker David Veilleux gets dropped from the front group.
15:36 - Guesdon on the move
With 35km to go, Guesdon attacks from the front group while Cancellara, Hushovd and Ballan are 25 seconds behind.
15:35 - Ballan catches up
Ballan rejoins Cancellara and Hushovd.
15:25 - Cancellara and Hushovd
Fabian Cancellara accelerates again on sector 8. Only Hushovd can follow him. There are 16 remaining leaders 50 seconds ahead of them.
15:22 - Quatuor at 1.10
Alessandro Ballan is with Cancellara, Hushovd and Flecha at the exit of sector 10 with 45km to go and 1.10 deficit from the leading group.
15:14 - Hushovd and Cancellara in action
With 49km to go, Thor Hushovd enters in action. He accelerates and Cancellara takes a huge turn on the pavé sector of Mons-en-Pévèle. Only Hushovd and Flecha manage to follow him.
15:12 - Time gap: 1.10
With 52km to go, the time gap between the 21 leaders and the main bunch is 1.10. Team Sky leads the bunch.
15:06 - 21 riders in the lead
The 17 leaders minest Boucher who had a flat tyre, are reinforced by Rasch, Degenkolb, Rast, Leezer and Damien Gaudin (Europcar). It makes a new front group of 21 with 52km to go.
15:03 - Pozzato and Sagan in a crash
With 59km to go, Pozzato and Sagan are involved in a crash.
15:00 - Four riders in between
Gabriel Rasch (Garmin), Gregory Rast (Radio Shack), Tom Leezer (Rabobank) and John Degenkolb (HTC) are on their way to catching up with the front group, from which Boucher had a flat tyre.
14:53 - Chavanel crashes
On a normal road, Sylvain Chavanel crashed as he was chasing to come across to the main bunch.
14:49 - 17 riders in the lead
The seven chasers caught the ten leaders with 65km to go just before sector 13.
14:42 - Boonen crashes
As he was chasing hard to come across to the bunch led by Leopard-Trek, Tom Boonen crashed on the sector 14 with 70km to go. He looked badly hurt but resumed racing.
14:38 - Leopard takes the lead of the bunch
The team Leopard-Trek of Fabian Cancellara takes the command of the main bunch with 75km to go as they are 1.45 behind the 10-man leading group and one minute behind Guesdon, Van Summeren, Hayman, Bak, Roelands, Quinziato, Boom and Cooke.
14:36 - Boonen is 45 seconds behind the main group
Boonen and his team-mates are 45 seconds behind the group of the favourites with Cancellara and Hushovd
14:35 - More problems for Quick Step
While Boonen chases to rejoin the back of the bunch after his mechanical problem, Chavanel has a flat tyre and gets a slow assistance for a wheel change.
14:32 - Seven riders out of the bunch
At the exit of the forest, seven riders have dropped the rest of the bunch: Frédéric Guesdon (FDJ), Johan van Summeren (Garmin), Matt Hayman (Sky), Lars Bak (HTC), Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto), Manuel Quinziato (BMC), Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Baden Cooke (Saxo Bank).
14:31 - French double at Paris-Roubaix junior
Frenchmen Florian Sénéchal and Alexis Gougeard have finished first and second of the junior version of Paris-Roubaix.
14:29 - Elmiger and Tjallingi the fastest in the forest
Martin Elmiger and Maarten Tjallingi were the fastest of the front group in the forest of Arenberg.
14:28 - Boonen stopped in the forest
Tom Boonen has had a major mechanical problem in the middle of the forest of Arenberg and waited for ages for assistance.
14:27 - No more riders in between
Before the sector 17, the last one before Arenberg, the riders in between the bunch and the front group get caught. The time gap is 2.40.
14:03 - Feeling the heat of Arenberg
With 12km to go to the entrance of the forest of Arenberg, the gap has increased to 2.50. Riders watch each other in the bunch.
13:55 - 100km to go
With 100km to go, the bunch cruises 2.20 behind the leading group.
13:52 - 9 riders in the lead
Jimmy Engoulvent who had a mechanical problem is no longer in the front group that has 1.50 lead over the bunch at the exit of sector 19 with 109km to go.
13:52 - Veilleux at his ease
On the sector 21, Canada’s David Veilleux (Europcar) accelerates and looks at his ease on the cobblestones. Possibly a new champion for Paris-Roubaix is born.
13:36 - 1.40 at km 140
The deficit of the bunch is 1.40 at km 40.
13:34 - Another flat tyre for Haussler
Heinrich Haussler has a second flat tyre.
13:33 - Clarke is out
Simon Clarke is out of the race after a heavy crash.
13:30 - Ten riders in the lead
After the junction of the front group and their chasers, there are ten leaders: Greipel, Boucher, Elmiger, Engoulvent, Tjallingi, De Kort, Docker, Veilleux, Stangelj and Seubert. They have 50 sec lead over Paolini, Marycz, Turgot and Oliveira. Peloton at 1.20 with 120km to go.
13:28 - Crash for Thomas and Cooke
Geraint Thomas and Baden Cooke are involved in a crash.
13:27 - Goss and Oliveira puncture
Oliveira in the front group and Matt Goss (HTC) in the bunch have a flat tyre.
13:27 - Three riders away from the bunch
Simon Clarke (Astana), Sébastien Turgot (Europcar) and Jaroslaw Marycz (Saxo Bank-SunGard) jumped away from the bunch while the seven breakaway riders are 1.25 ahead with a chasing group of four at 40 seconds.
13:14 - Flat tyre for Leukemans
After a flat tyre, Björn Leukemans quickly gets a wheel change from one of his team-mates from Vacansoleil.
13:10 - Chavanel has a flat tyre
Runner up of the Tour of Flanders, Sylvain Chavanel has had a flat tyre at km 126. No team-mate from Quick Step waits for him.
13:08 - Peloton at one minute
Correction: Boucher punctured on sector 23. He’s caught by the chasing riders Greipel, De Kort and Stangelj. Peloton at one minute.
13:06 - Boucher punctures
David Boucher punctures in the front group on sector 21.
13:05 - Jean-Marie Leblanc on the road side
Former Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc is a spectator on the sector 23 where the bunch is cruising now.
13:04 - Three riders in between
Greipel, De Kort (Skil-Shimano) and Gorazd Stangelj (Astana) are in between the break and the bunch.
13:00 - Greipel accelerates
Andre Greipel attacks briefly at the head of the bunch although his team-mate David Boucher is in the leading group with 55 seconds advantage.
12:59 - Cancellara changes his bike
In the feed zone of Solesmes, Cancellara gets a new bike from his team car.
12:58 - 50 seconds lead
The same eight leaders have 50 seconds advantage at km 113.
12:42 - Incident for Guesdon
The 1997 winner of Paris-Roubaix Frédéric Guesdon is back in the bunch after a mechanical incident.
12:38 - The gap increases
The time gap between the eight breakaway riders and the bunch has increased to 1.25 at the entrance of sector 26, which has 1.8km of cobblestones.
12:37 - Gusev and Dion out
Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) and Renaud Dion (Bretagne-Schuller) have been forced to retire after crashing on sector 27.
12:35 - 40 seconds after sector 27
At the exit of sector 27, the time gap is 40 seconds. The bunch is all together behind the eight breakaway riders.
12:28 - Coyot pulls out
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Mitch Docker (Skil-Shimano), Nelson Oliveira (Radio Shack), Timon Seubert (Netapp), David Boucher (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Maarten Tjallingi (Rabobank) and David Veilleux (Europcar) have entered the sector 27 with 20 seconds lead, while Arnaud Coyot (Saur-Sojasun) who was 12th in Roubaix last year has pulled out of the race.
12:27 - 45km/h average speed
90 kilometres have been covered in the first two hours of racing.
12:26 - 8 riders away
David Boucher (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Maarten Tjallingi (Rabobank) and David Veilleux (Europcar) join the five leading riders. The 8-man group has 15 seconds lead.
12:21 - 5 riders in the lead
At km 92, five riders are in the lead: Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Mitch Docker (Skil-Shimano), Nelson Oliveira (Radio Shack) and Timon Seubert (Netapp).
12:19 - Elmiger attacks
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale) attacks at km 89.
12:17 - Tension prior to the cobblestones
There’s a lot of tension in the bunch. All the riders form one line at the entrance of Busigny with less than ten kilometres to go to the first pavé section from Troisvilles to Inchy with number 27.
12:16 - Martias crashes
Ronny Martias has crashed after breaking his bike but continued racing.
12:13 - Wet cobblestones
The race direction has been informed that cobblestones are wet in the second half of the first pavé sector. As the weather conditions are dry and sunny, it means water has been displayed.
12:10 - All together again
Ista has been caught by the bunch.
12:08 - Ista on the move
Kevin Ista from Cofidis tries his luck on his own.
11:57 - Compact bunch
The bunch is compact and riding at a fast speed 20 kilometres before the first pavé section.
11:51 - End of the breakaway
Initiated at km 18, the six-men breakaway has been caught at km 69. Anthony Ravard has been the last man to insist.
11:48 - 25 seconds difference
At km 64, the deficit of the bunch to the six leaders is reduced to 25 seconds.
11:42 - Farrar supports Hushovd
At the beginning of the classics’ campaign, all eyes were on the team Garmin-Cervélo but they haven’t won any of these races yet. One of their sprinters, Tyler Farrar, told letour.fr: “I don’t know if I have fully recovered from my crash at the Schledeprijs on Wednesday. But I’ll give my best to help Thor Hushovd to win. He’s come second and third in Roubaix in the last two years. He’s in good form. He’s the world champion. He deserves our support. I also have the desire to win this race one year but I’ll take it as a good learning experience today.”
11:34 - 35 seconds at Saint-Quentin
Wiggins, Bandiera, Selvaggi, Ravard, Pasamontes and De Backer are 35 seconds ahead of the bunch at Saint-Quentin, km 58.
11:30 - Cozza in between
Steven Cozza (Netapp) has gone in between the six leaders and the bunch, but he’s been caught. The gap is 45 seconds at km 54.
11:23 - Kluge crashes
Roger Kluge of Skil-Shimano has crashed at km 51. The gap between the six leaders and the bunch is 35 seconds.
11:17 - 46.3km covered in one hour
During the first hour of racing, the riders have covered 46.3 kilometres.
11:13 - 98km before the first pavés
The riders have to cover 98 kilometres before they hit the first pavé section at Troisvilles.
11:07 - No freedom for attackers
At Ham (km 39), the six breakaway riders have only 23 seconds lead.
11:06 - 6 leading riders
At km 34, six riders are in the lead: Wiggins, Bandiera, Selvaggi, Ravard, De Backer and Luis Pasamontes (Movistar). They’re 14 seconds ahead of the bunch.
11:04 - Ravard and De Backer react
Anthony Ravard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Bert De Backer (Skil-Shimano) try to bridge the gap to the leading trio but the peloton doesn’t seem to be willing to let anyone go. Wiggins, Bandiera and Selvaggi don’t increase their advantage.
11:00 - Haussler punctures
Heinrich Haussler who is one of the support riders for Thor Hushovd at Garmin-Cervélo has a flat tyre at km 30. He’s the second Australian to puncture after Simon Clarke.
10:57 - Seventh Paris-Roubaix for Wiggins
Multiple Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins is riding Paris-Roubaix for the seventh time. He’s in support of Team Sky’s top 3 finisher last year, Juan Antonio Flecha.
10:55 - 30 seconds lead
The leading trio has 30 seconds over the bunch at km 26 while Saramotins has been caught.
10:51 - Wiggins in the lead
At km 21, Bradley Wiggins (Sky), Marco Bandiera (Quick Step) and Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM) managed to go clear. Two kilometres later, they had 12 seconds advantage over Aleksej Saramotins (Cofidis) and 25 seconds over the bunch.
10:44 - Flat tyre for Clarke
Rookie Simon Clarke of Astana was unlucky to have a rear wheel flat tyre at km 19, as the speed of the bunch is extremely high. A 10-man breakaway has just been caught and four riders try to go clear after them.
10:39 - First Chilean in the bunch
Carlos Oyarzun from Team Movistar is the first Chilean ever to take part in Paris-Roubaix. It’s been a shock for him to reconnoitre the cobblestoned sections earlier this week. “I have never seen such roads in my life before”, he told letour.fr. “It’s going to be a memorable experience.” Also from South America, Leonardo Duque of Cofidis isn’t the first Colombian to start but he hopes to be the first Colombian to finish Paris-Roubaix.
10:38 - All together at km 12
The bunch is all together again after 12 kilometres.
10:32 - Three riders away
At km 9, Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha), Roy Curvers (Skil-Shimano) and Ben King (RadioShack) have managed to go clear.
10:29 - Active start
It’s a very fast start but the competition for breaking away is too high! Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD) and Andreas Schillinger (Skil-Shimano) have created a bit of a gap at km 5 in Thourotte but they’ve been caught quickly.
10:26 - Buts is the first man out
Vitaly Buts of Lampre-ISD is the first man to pull out of the race after 3 kilometers.
10:23 - First time for Bretagne-Schuller
This is the first participation of newly promoted Pro Continental team Bretagne-Schuller to Paris-Roubaix. They have the 2008 junior world champion Johan Le Bon in their ranks. “Only one of my riders, Renaud Dion, has participated to the pro version of Paris-Roubaix”, sports director Emmanuel Hubert told letour.fr. “The others are impressed and happy. For Le Bon, it’s a childhood dream. Our goal is to be present in a major breakaway and go as far as possible. I’m aware that breakaways tend to start later and later in Paris-Roubaix and they’re given less and less advantage by the peloton every year.”
10:17 - Start proper
The start proper has been given at 10.22.
10:14 - They’re on their way
The 197 riders of the 109th Paris-Roubaix have taken the start. They’re in the 5km long neutral zone. The triple winner Francesco Moser (1978, 1979, 1980) was present in Compiègne. Fabian Cancellara aims at equalling his number of successes in the velodrome today.
10:08 - A rookie named Cavendish
Mark Cavendish is one of the rookies of Paris-Roubaix. This is the first time he managed to make the line up of the HTC-Highroad team. “I think I’ve never seen him as motivated for a bike race”, his team-mate Bernhard Eisel told letour.fr.
09:50 - 11 degrees at the start
Prior to the start on the Royale square of Compiègne, the sky is blue and the temperature is 11°C. There’s no wind.
09:23 - Cancellara is the pre-race favourite
In today’s French sports daily L’Equipe, defending champion Fabian Cancellara is introduced as the pre-race favourite. He’s tipped with 5 stars; Thor Hushovd and Tom Boonen have 4; Alessandro Ballan has 3; Manuel Quinziato, Filippo Pozzato, Lars Boom and Juan Antonio Flecha have 2; Björn Leukemans, George Hincapie and Stijn Devolder have 1.
